The Trophy Striper

Ardmore Bill · #1 12-19-1999, 04:15 PM

Got it, read it in all of two hours yesterday. Truly, an awesome book of historical proportions that every Saltwater Angler and Striper fisherman should read and have on the shelf for reference. I got mine for my dad and will be getting my own copy for my son, who is 21 months old, so that he may read it when he is old enough and ready for the surf. I enjoyed every page.

Ardmore Bill · #2 12-19-1999, 04:15 PM

Got it, read it in all of two hours yesterday. Truly, an awesome book of historical proportions that every Saltwater Angler and Striper fisherman should read and have on the shelf for reference. I got mine for my dad and will be getting my own copy for my son, who is 21 months old, so that he may read it when he is old enough and ready for the surf. I enjoyed every page.

Frank Daignault · #3 12-20-1999, 08:15 AM

Dear Bill,
Thanks so much for taking the trouble to say that. Probably those who read don't have to be told but a little of your hyde and heart go into a project like that. Risk of disagreement, oversight and error haunt you every step of the way. Not that you have to be told, but wearing a vulgarity police badge, J must be remembered for being the pixie with a bag of commas, a wheelbarrow of conscience, with "you-musn't-says" in her backpack.

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Frank

Frank Daignault · #4 01-09-2000, 03:55 PM

Bill, this three weeks later:
You may recall that most of fall J and wondered how TROPHY STRIPER would be received. Reviews have come in and a lot of personal contact -- e-mails, remarks here, local anglers, the phone -- seem to give the book high marks. There was one chat room elsewhere where it and Frank were trashed mightily. In reading that it was clear to me that none of them had read it. Something I learned about myself is that the more fun it is to write something, the better it comes out. The chapter, "Lady Luck" excerpted in SWS October seems to have drawn the most favorable comment and obviously was their editor's favorite.

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Frank

cowboydave · #5 01-10-2000, 05:37 PM

Mr. Daignault, The other board tends to bring out the best in "some people." Last year I was actually called a "Daignault spouting kid" by someone whom I have since become friendly with. Think about it Frank. You were lucky enough to spend every day on the beach for quite some time (I'm not sure if you were really on the beach every summer for your twenty years on the Cape). You then saddled up your expieriences and became a very well respected writer and speaker. If there was any one way that any jamoc who jabs at you could make a living it would be doing what you have done. And furthermore they all may slight you due to jealousy but they all bought your books!! Cha-ching.

BTW, I fish the East end alot and I know that nowadays that is one of the spots you said you fish. A few times this summer I saw a gentleman and his wife navigate the rocks under the light at the rocks near the head of the rip and walk down to where the beach meets the jetti and you have to climb back up the rocks to go any further. Just wondering if thats may have been you.

I got my hands on "The Trophy" before most through B+Noble and have read it a couple times. Although I can't recite it verbatim (yet) I eagerly await the return of the monster bass. So far I havent't felt anything over thirty-five pull.

Dave Breslin, Jr.

Frank Daignault · #6 01-10-2000, 07:46 PM

Hi Dave,
We were on the beach all summer from '65 to '83 or '84. We left when the moratorium came and traveled all over Maine catching landlocks and brook trout. We had a few years love affair with Atlantic salmon which began to get into my blood but that crashed two. J could never get the point of it. Keep in mind that she was spoiled by the situation we had. We never took any seasons off before the moratorium. Never! I nearly gave up my tenured job to stay commercial June and October, when I believed that I could have matched my annual income in just two months. J felt, "but what if something happens to the fish?" Good thing I listened to her or I would be raking leaves on Cape Cod today instead of being retired the last 11 years. Navigate?

What's this about navigate? Are we that slow on the rocks? I have to go slow for J. She can't even ride a bike. I'm going to leave her home from now on as she makes us too easy to recognize. I heard at the donut shop that guys are saying to "look for a decent looking women fishing with her father." No respect. Cinto spotted us in a heartbeat and I had not seen him since '67. Maybe I'll fish with a younger women. That will throw them off. Lastly, 35 inches or 35 pounds. It was '99. Probably inches, which is fine. Nice message.

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Frank

Saltheart · #7 01-10-2000, 09:05 PM

Look what it did for you though Dave. Last year you were a "Daignault spouting kid". [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] Look at all you learned after reading "the other" board for a year. You even get away with calling yourself "SurfCowboy" now without a complaint from anyone. If I see you at the power plant , I'll show you another spot to get the holdovers. If not , I'll see you on "The Wall". In the mean time , keep it reel! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

cowboydave · #8 01-11-2000, 02:40 AM

Mr. Daignault, Actually 33 lbs to be completely honest. This past season I had two stellar nights, back to back in June at the previously mentioned very well known and not worth lying about spot. I got a 32 # the first night with a few fish in the 20's and came back the next night to do almost the same but the 32 lost a pound finding my eel the next night!! That was when people were still toting herring, early June, and the fellow I had been fishing with on Bell Rd declined the offer to come fish eels with me because it was too early!!! As far as the rest of the season went it was pretty, well small. I did manage to get my biggest fish on a plug to date which was 21lbs on a Big Yellow Polaris in October. I know how you love those poppers!! Just kidding. My buddy Chuck Casella told me you would be speaking at the MSBA meeting this month and he invited me so I'll re-introduce myself. See you then.

Hey Saltheart my new e-mail is roccus50 (if you don't think it will happen it won't, right?) let me know when we can go pick on some holdovers!

Keep it reel,

Dave Breslin, Jr.

Frank Daignault · #9 01-12-2000, 11:15 AM

Thanks, Dave,
Interesting that a buddy thought it too early for eels. I don't know how that got started but it has no apparent basis in fact. In the early 60's, Intrepid Striper Club, Franklin, I brought in a slip for a 17 poundah in May and everybody said they thought it a little early to be fishing eels. Charles E. Cinto was sitting right there that night in Dan Towers'kitchen. Miss Manners says be polite but don't believe everything. Your blitz proves that.

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Frank